I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the modification of digital image files. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for modifying high resolution digital images generated at an origination site which involves transmitting a compressed low resolution proxy of a high resolution digital image to a remote site where it can be decompressed and modified by a digital image expert, and wherein the modifications are saved in a script file which is retransmitted back to the origination site such that it can be applied to the high resolution digital image to produce a corrected high resolution digital image.
II. Discussion of the Prior Art
Digital images files are often generated at one location and modified, adjusted, corrected or made ready for use at a different site. Traditionally the process begins with the generation of a high resolution digital image file at an image origination site. Image origination sites may include, but are not necessarily limited to, photo studios with a digital camera, design firms with desktop scanners, or photo labs having CD image facilities. Once generated at an image origination site, the high resolution digital image file is transferred to a "color trade shop" at an image modification site remote from the image origination site where a "color" expert performs the necessary corrections and prepares the image for printing, multimedia or internet use. The corrections or adjustments made to the file may include, but are not limited to, exposure correction, neutralizing color casts, optimization of reproduction range, image silhouetting, color alteration, retouching and color space conversion.
Transferring the high resolution digital image file to the image modification site may be performed in one of a variety of well known methods. A first transfer method is via high speed digital data transmission lines such as, but not limited to, T1 or ISDN. While this transfer method is fast, it is nonetheless disadvantageous in that it is very costly. A second transfer method is via traditional modem and telephone line. This method offers a low cost of implementation, but is extremely slow and unreliable due to long transmission times. A third transfer method is via courier/overnight mail services which, as will be appreciated, is expensive and far slower than digital data transmission.
Transmission via an intranet network may also be employed where the "color trade shop" facility is part of the same organization as the image generator, such as where a large corporation has both image generation and image correction operations. However, transferring high resolution digital image files is slow "point to point" within the network and oftentimes results in an overall network slow down. This disadvantageously affects all those connected to the network, including those not involved in digital image transfer.
Once received at the image modification site, the high resolution digital image file can be corrected, adjusted, or modified in any number of desired fashions. These modifications can be performed by a "color" expert on an image-by-image basis. However, working with the high resolution digital image file in this fashion is labor intensive for the "color" expert and therefore time consuming and inefficient. Modifications may also be performed in an automated fashion by applying a "script" of predetermined instructions to the high resolution digital image file to modify the image in a set fashion with little to no need for human intervention. While scripting is more efficient than having a color expert perform the modifications, a drawback exists in that this modification technique is only helpful when batch processing a plurality of images sharing similar characteristics. Rarely, however, do files require the exact same corrections for optimization such that not all problems are corrected accurately.
Whether modified manually by the color expert or automatically via scripting, the newly adjusted full resolution digital image file typically increases in size by as much as 25-30%. As will be appreciated, increasing the size of the high resolution digital image file exacerbates the problem of slow transmission when electronically transferring the corrected high resolution digital image file back to the image origination site.
While color trade shops may not face financial and/or technological limitations, the image generator frequently does. Often a color trade shop has hardware designed to enhance the productivity of the large clients, yet, due to the expense required at both ends, nothing is currently being done to address the small client.
A need therefore exists for a method and system for modifying high resolution digital images which is economical, faster, and more universally available than is currently offered in the prior art.
The present invention is directed at overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.